She linked her arm in his. ‘Doesn’t matter, Dad. Chat away if that’s your thing. This is a great house, isn’t it? We don’t get ones like this in Australia; we aren’t old enough as a country.’

The front door opened and Nell appeared.

Gemma let go of his arm to be introduced, but it had made Adam happy for her to touch him so casually. When he’d told her about this evening’s meeting, she hadn’t seemed worried, so maybe things would go smoothly between her and her half-sister. But who knew with teenage girls? They could take umbrage at nothing sometimes.

Anyway, this chance encounter would give Gemma and him something to do for a few hours. What nice people the Dennings were. He’d be happy working with Angus to set up an electronic security system.

Was it really so urgent?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Gemma enjoyed exploring the beautiful old house and helping Nell do various small jobs around the place. What a lot of work an old house made for its occupants!

When she and her father left Dennings, they stopped to buy some fish and chips on the way home, eating them quickly because they were cutting it fine for picking up Hope, then rushing out again.

Adam parked the car under the big overhead light in the visitors’ section of the parking area and got out to wait for Hope so that she could see him clearly and, he hoped, not be afraid.

Gemma joined him, leaning against the car, their breath making misty patches in the chilly, moonlit world. They turned as they heard footsteps coming down the metal stairs in the middle of the two-storey block of flats.

‘She looks even more nervous than you do,’ Gemma whispered.

‘Shh.’ Adam moved forward. ‘Hi, Hope. This is my daughter, Gemma.’

‘Pleased to meet you.’ She studied the young woman openly. ‘You look a lot like my Janey. They’ve both got your dark hair, Adam.’

When Gemma just made a soft sound, as if she didn’t quite know what to say to that, Adam covered for her with an innocuous remark and suggested they all get into the car.

‘Where to?’ he asked.

‘She lives at the upper end of Peppercorn Street,’ Hope said. ‘Do you know where that is?’

‘We ought to. We spent several hours there today.’

‘Really?’

‘Yes. I was exploring the town and bumped into Angus Denning. We got talking, found we had a lot in common, and I stayed to help him put in a better security system. He’s setting up a sort of artists’ village in a group of houses he owns. The street’s called Saffron Lane.’

‘Yes. There was an article on it in the local newspaper. Everyone’s wondering what sort of people the artists will be. You can see the gardens of the big house from the back of where Janey lives and there’s a gate there to get into them. Miss Parfitt, who owns the house, is quite friendly with Angus and his wife, and Janey says they keep an eye on her because she’s quite elderly. She’s wonderful for her age, though.’